Product Review: When It's Too Hot To Cook (Much)

It's been a few months now since I have been making that daily commute back to the city for work. It's been great getting back into the swing of things, and I am really enjoying being part of a big company again. I don't miss the teeny tiny three person office environment one bit. I'm very lucky to be working where I do. The company is very focused on maintaining a happy environment for the employees and we have loads of social activities like barbecues, contests, community volunteering opportunities and so much more. The company brings food trucks onto the campus every week so we don't have to go far for lunch and have a rotating lineup of options. 

Just this past week the company announced they would be hosting a weekly farmers market on the campus. I was so excited to hear this! That has been the one thing I did miss about my previous job- having access to our small ton farmers market, and even participating as a vendor. Now I don't have to worry about missing out on garden fresh vegetables that I can't or don't grow at home. I can stroll over to the market before getting in my car and heading home.

In my office we do a weekly lunch sign-up for fun. Every Wednesday one or two people volunteer to bring lunch for our team. There are twelve of us, so it's not a HUGE endeavor or a full scale catering event by any means, but just a fun way to be social and try some new foods. During the most recent Wednesday lunch one of my coworkers brought in a salad- Asian flavors with crunchy veggies and crispy wonton strips. Really really good. Reminded me of an old church cookbook recipe I used to make using bagged coleslaw mix and uncooked crushed ramen noodles, but it wasn't exactly the same. She shared her secret "recipe"- it IS a bagged salad, a complete salad kit she picked up at the grocery store, and it was so delicious I thought it would be great to use as a starting point for summer meal in one salads on these hot hot hot no-cooking days!

The Dole Chopped Salad Kit is such a great idea. I chose the Asian Sesame variety, the same as the one my coworker brought to lunch. Everything you need is in this one bag- the salad greens including kale, shredded carrots, sliced almonds, those crunchy wonton strips and Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette.
  

I am dressing mine up with some fresh additions. Chopped scallions, because I happen to have them on hand, and some julienned baby bok choy are going in the bowl. 

Baby bok choy is has a crisp crunch and great flavor

Because I am serving this salad for dinner I thought it would be nice to get a source of protein in there as well, so I am pan-grilling some shrimp, which have been seasoned with Feiny's Chesapeake Bay Rub, and quickly seared in a wok. They literally cook in a minute or two so I am in and out of the kitchen super fast and they are delicious and perfect with the Asian flavors in the salad. 

The shrimp were juicy and delicious with just a hint
of caramelization from the hot skillet or wok

Dinner prep went super fast. I bought shrimp with the peels intact so I had to take a few minutes to peel them and pull off the tails before tossing with the Chesapeake Bay Rub and that was the most difficult part of "cooking." I wish I had grabbed a cucumber because that would have been a great addition to this salad, so would water chestnuts! It took just seconds to toss the veggies in a large bowl with the dressing and extras, plate up a serving and top with some of the shrimp. Done!

Yes, that IS an autograph on the package- because I am a
dork like that. Actually, Adam hand-packages his rubs and
sends them out as ordered so you always get a freshly
mixed batch. 

You can find this salad kit at just about any large grocery store. Of course I picked it up shopping in the city after work, it's not available out here in our teeny grocery store. You definitely want to get yourself some Chesapeake Bay Rub too- get that by clicking HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Girl Time- Girls Night Out

Many of us have one of those friends- you know the one, they are family, but not technically, but you find a way to make them family, like their niece is married to my son so that makes us- sisters!! For me that friend is Jessica. Over the years we have enjoyed so many good times together. Concerts, road trips, wine tastings, baking days with a stack of CDs of 70s music, epic marathons of making apple butter, dinner in, dinner out, everything a couple of sisters would do. Like it has a way of happening, life sometimes got in the way. Kids, jobs, busy lives and before you know it you don't spend as much time as you once did. We decided to make time for sister time. Do all the things we used to enjoy so much and make it a point to make time to slow down, catch up and enjoy life. 

We picked a popular local restaurant for our inaugural Sister Date. Since we are both wine enthusiasts we wanted a place where we could get a really good steak, and a really good glass of wine. She suggested John and Nick's, a very nice locally owned restaurant in Clive. That's about the midway point for me driving in and her driving west so it worked out great. I had never been here before and was impressed by the dark woods and cozy atmosphere. Candles on the table warmed the feel of the room and we were seated under a picture of the Eiffel Tower- my dream vacation destination. I liked it already!

The wine list was really pretty good. Now, if you're used to Michelin star restaurants with a sommelier and wine attendants on staff you will not be impressed, but if you are looking for good variety and some really good house wine, the wine list is for you. Jessica chose the house Cabernet. It was big and bold and filled the glass with amazing jammy fruity aromas. It was the perfect wine for a cut of beef like prime rib and was one of the better Cabernets I have had in years. We did ask for the name of the wine, but.......I forgot !!!! Anyway, I chose a Riesling. Yes I knew I'd be having steak for dinner but I don't believe in those stuffy old "rules," I believe in drink what you like when you like however you like. So Riesling it is, and I chose the Kung Fu Girl 2013. I might be a little bit biased because Riesling is my favorite wine, but this one was the best ever. Light and fruity, the perfect blend of tart and sweet, I loved it so much I found a store that sells it and bought more for home!

Like all the old family-owned restaurants here, and maybe everywhere, John and Nick's has the old standby- the salad bar. Normally I stay away from salad bars but theirs was very fresh and inviting. Lots and lots of fresh choices, vegetables, salads, and of course the odd fruity fluffy things I've never quite figured out. But besides the fresh salad and great selection of dressings, I added cubes of cheese and some beautiful olives to my plate. Of course, fresh bread arrived at the table. Some of these old traditions I just really enjoy, and the warm loaf of bread is one of them.

Choosing our entrees was not as easy as I thought it would be. They have a great selection of steaks and prime rib. I chose a New York Strip with crab stuffed shrimp and Jessica went with the prime rib. She ordered hers in a way I had never heard of before- seasoned and seared. It was delicious! Apparently, they slice off your prime rib, season it with their house seasoning, I'm guessing salt, pepper and garlic, and sear it on the grill. Now my Chef says he hates it when people order it that way, but I thought it was absolutely fantastic. My steak was perfectly cooked medium rare and was juicy and expertly seasoned. The crab stuffed shrimp were very good, although I thought they could have used a little bit more of the stuffing. And Jessica's prime rib was perfect as well- I was leery of it being overcooked once it's seared but apparently these chefs make this often- it was the perfect doneness.

No girls night, in or out, is ever complete without dessert. I deferred to Jessica to make the choice- we were both so full (Seriously, us girls are meat eaters. We don't "do" doggie bags.) that we decided to share dessert and she chose the chocolate lava cake. It was as lush and delicious as it was beautiful and we devoured it in no time, of course with a second glass of wine. Dessert and wine just go together.

We have a full lineup of Sister Dates to look forward to- days, nights, even a slumber party! We have wines to drink, movies to watch, dinner to cook, pies to bake, Downton Abbey to watch (from the beginning- I have never seen it) and so much more. Brandy, sherry, port. Beautiful teas and froofy coffees. Our favorite wine movies. Laughs, tears, memories and the kind of love only sisters share.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Little Dish That Couldn't

I've been talking a lot lately about the recipe contest I entered and didn't even come close. Eh....such is life, right? You win some, you lose some. I thought I would share that recipe with you anyway. I originally posted this recipe back in 2012 I believe on my other blog, Rockin' the Kitchen, as part of a marathon day of cooking. Of the four ravioli/tortellini I made that day, this was my favorite one. I think it's a very versatile dish- you could easily serve it as a first course or appetizer, or add a couple sides and it's your main course. Just be sure to find a perfect Pinot Grigio to drink with it. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Seafood Tortellini

1/2 package small wonton wrappers (20)
1/2 cup flaked crab meat (canned is ok but NO FAKE CRAB)
1/2 cup finely chopped cooked shrimp
1/2 cup finely chopped langostino tails
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
big pinch chives
2-3 tb white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese FINELY shredded
couple teaspoons beaten egg (beat one egg and use a little for each filling)
salt and pepper

Combine seafood and set aside. In small skillet melt about a TB butter and one TB olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened but not brown. Add wine. Cook until wine is mostly evaporated. Mix into seafood along with chives and all cheeses. Stir in beaten egg. Salt and pepper.

To assemble, place one wonton skin on dry cutting board. Moisten all edges. Place a tsp filling in center, fold over to make a triangle. You can stop at this point and have cute triangular ravioli or.....

To make tortellini, moisten two corners and fold them together to look like an envelope. Set aside on waxed paper lined baking sheet (paper towels may stick so I don't recommend them). When ready to cook, add to boiling salted water and cook 3-4 minutes or until cooked thru, drain well. Drizzle with Brown Butter with Sage and serve. You can freeze uncooked ravioli/tortellini. Cook from frozen 4-5 minutes minimum but check them frequently so they don't overcook.

I like to serve this with Browned Butter and Sage, but if you like Alfredo, or red sauce- go with what you like. But if you'd like to stick with my recipe-

Browned Butter with Sage

1 stick unsalted BUTTER (you absolutely CANNOT substitute margarine !!!)
1 tsp crushed dried sage leaves or 3 tsp minced fresh
dash salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet over low heat. Cook and stir until butter foams and begins to brown. Remove from heat and add sage, salt and pepper. Drizzle over tortellini to taste. You can refrigerate or freeze any leftover for other dishes- makes an excellent start for a chicken saute!

**** Note-  You likely will have a good amount of seafood filling leftover. I popped mine in the freezer and later thawed and used it for stuffed mushrooms- stuff the mushroom caps with rounded spoonful of filling, dip in melted butter (maybe that browned butter with sage?) and roll in panko- bake at 400 about 10 minutes until bubbly and run under the broiler for a quick browning if desired.